Washer and dryer with means in the washer for removing lint from the dryer



Filed Feb. 24. 1964 J W. JACOBS ETAL WASHER AND DRYER WITH MEANS IN THEWASHER FOR REMOVING LINT FROM THE DRYER l I/ J J Nov. 30, 1965 om. M0 JL.B We Sg er mw JG Y B Their Attorney United States Patent C) WASHER ANDDRYER WITH MEANS IN THE WASHER FOR REMVING LlNT FROM THE DRYER James W.`acobs and George B. Long, Dayton, Ohio, assignors to General MotorsCorporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 24,1964, Ser. No. 346,983 Claims. (Cl. 68-19) This invention relates toadomestic appliance and more particularly to an improved carefreearrangement for disposing of lint from a dryer through the drainagesystem of an adjacent clothes washer.

During the drying of clothes, lint is generated by the tumbling offabric, and this lint, along with evaporated moisture, is carried fromthe dryer by a circulating air stream. Prior art devices have sought tolter the lint from the exhausting air by means of a collecting net orscreen disposed at some point in the exhaust air system. such a priorart arrangement requires that the lint collecting screen be periodicallycleaned. This invention is directed to an arrangement whereby periodicmaintenance of the dryer lter screen or the like is eliminated bycausing the lint to be disposed of along with the waste water of acompanion clothes washing machine.

Accordingly, it is -a general object of this invention to eliminate theneed for a lter screen in a clothes dryer.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a lint disposalarrangement which uses the wash water drainage system of an adjacentclothes washer for collecting and disposing of the lint from the clothesdryer.

A more specic object is the provision of a separate washer and separatedryer arrangement wherein the exhaust of the dryer is conveyed intomoisture condensing and lint depositing relationship with a trough ofwater in the clothes washer, said collected lint and condensate beingremoved from the clothes washer along with the soiled wash water by thepump-out system of the clothes washer.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be`apparent from the following description, reference being had to the'accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic side elevational view of the washer and dryerarrangement of this invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view, partly in elevation, of the clothes washershown in FIGURE l.

In accordance with this invention and with reference to FIGURE 1, aclothes washer is shown positioned adjacent a clothes dryer 12. Ingeneral, the clothes dryer 12 is provided with an outer cabinet 14enclosing a rotatable tumbling drum 16 and having an access door 18 inaxial alignment with the front Iaccess opening 20 of the tumbling drum.Air ow through the tumbling drum 16 is induced by a blower 22, the inletof which is connected to the access opening 20 by means of a front duct24. The blower or air circulating means 22 is adapted to exhaust fromthe dryer 12 by means of an exhaust outlet 26. For further details ofthe clothes dryer 12 other than the lint collecting scheme, referencemay be hadV to the patent to Whyte 2,843,945, issued July 22, 1958.

Turning now to the clothes washer 10, its construction is shown toinclude an outer cabinet 30 into which hot and cold water supply lines32 lead to a mixing valve 33. A drain line 34 extends from the cabinet30 to any convenient domestic sewer. Electric power may be supplied,respectively, to the washer 10 and the dryer 12 by means of an electriccord 36, 38.

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Turning now to FIGURE 2, the novel lint disposal arrangement of thisinvention will be described with reference to the novel construction ofthe clothes washer 10. The outer cabinet of the clothes washer enclosesa generally cylindrical water container 40 having a closed lower end orbulkhead 42 from which a drain line 44 extends. A spin tub 46 isrotatably mounted on the bulkhead 42 within the water container 40, saidtub including a plurality of circumferentially arranged outtlow ports 48through which soiled wash water may be centrifuged into the surroundingwater container whenever the tub 46 is rotated. Such tub rotation may beaccomplished by an agitating and spinning mechanism 50 of the typetaught in either the patent to Sisson 2,987,904 issued June 13, 1961, orBrucken 3,087,321 issued April 30, 1963. A pump 52 is driven by eithermechanism 50 in a manner to pu-mp the soiled wash water from the watercontainer 4t) via the drain lines 44 and 34. Soiled wash water iscreated, of course, when dirty clothes are placed within the spin tub 46through an access door S4 on the top of the clothes washer cabinet, andan automatic wash cycle is initiated.

The lint and condensate disposal arrangement within the clothes washer10 is comprised of a duct means 56 attached to one side of the watercontainer 4t) between the spin tub 46 and the water container. The lowerend 58 of the duct extends into Ian arcuate trough 60 which ispositioned on the bulkhead 42 immediately adjacent the cylindrical wallof the water container 40-the trough 60 being adapted to contain a levelof water therein which will submerge the end 58 of the duct 56. Ailexible conduit 62 interconnects the exhaust 26 to the dryer 12 withthe duct 56 in the clothes washer whereby to cause the dryer exhaust-air to bubble through the water in the arcuate trough 60 whenever theblower 22 is operating. This bubbling action will condense the moisturefrom the dryer exhaust and will cause the lint to be wetted andseparated from the air. Air bubbling out of the trough 60 may thenescape from the cabinet of the clothes washer 10 by way of an opening 66in the top of the water container 40 and louvers 68 in the back wall ofthe clothes washer.

In operation, clean wash water is supplied to the spin tub 46 by `meansof the water supply lines 32 and the agitating and spinning mechanism 50is then operated to agitate the clothes for a predetermined interval toremove the soil therefrom. At the conclusion of the agitate cycle, thesoiled wash water is removed from the tub 46 when the tub is -rotated bythe mechanism 50, said soiled wash water being centrifuged from the tubthrough the outflow ports 48-the rotating action of the tub 46 im-Iparting a swirling action to the centrifuged water which spirals downaround the cylindrical wall of the water container 40 until a portionthereof reaches the trough 60. At this point the swirling water willsweep the stagnant water from the trough 60 and carry with it the lintand condensate deposited therein from the dryer. This ushing or purgingaction will continue so long as the soiled wash water is beingcentrifuged from the tub with only a small amount of the swirling washwater remaining in the trough 60 at the conclusion of spin to conditionthe trough for handling subsequent condensing and lint separatingoperations for the dryer. The condensate and lint which have been purgedfrom the collector trough 60 into the bottom of the water container 46are then pumped to drain along with the soiled wash water via the drainlines 44 and 34. Thus, the purging action of the collector trough 60serves also to condition the trough with another load of water `throughwhich subsequent dryer exhaust operations can continue to bubble.

Although the foregoing has been explained in connection with a submergeddryer exhaust to secure a bubbling moisture condensing and lint removingaction, an alternate arrangement would have the duct 56 terminate abovethe water in the trough 60, relying on the surface contact of the hotmoist dryer air to separate the lint and condense the moisture.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a preferre/d form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination, a clothes washer having clean water inlet means andsoiled water discharge means, said water discharge means including tubmeans rotatable for centrifuging soiled water therefrom and trough meansin the path of the water being centrifuged, said trough means beingpurged by the swirl of the water centrifuged and adapted to retain aportion of said water after said centrifuging, a clothes dryer havingmeans for circulating a stream of drying air into moisture and lintremoving relationship to said clothes and for exhausting the lint andmoisture laden air from said clothes dryer, and duct means incommunication with said clothes dryer at one end thereof for receivingthe lint and moisture laden air exhausted and connected with saidclothes washer at the other end thereof for conveying said lint andmoisture laden air thereto, said duct means at said other end extendinginto said trough means below the surface of said portion of water fordirecting said lint and moisture laden air into moisture condensing andlint depositing relationship with said portion of water, the purging ofsaid trough means by the water centrifuged from said tub means servingto condition the condensed` moisture and lint for removal from saidclothes washer along with the soiled water centrifuged from said tubemeans.

2. In combination, a clothes washer having clean water inlet means andsoiled water discharge means, said water discharge means including tubmeans rotatable for centrifuging soiled water therefrom, cylindricalwater container means `enclosing said tub means and in water receivingrelationship to the water centrifuged, trough means in said watercontainer means in the path of the water being centrifuged and pumpmeans for draining the water centrifuged from said water container, saidtrough means being purged by the swirl of the water centrifuged andadapted to retain a portion of said water after said centrifuging, aclothes dryer independent of said clothes washer and having blower meansfor circulating a stream of drying air into moisture and lint removingrelationship to clothes being dried and for exhausting the lint andmoisture laden air from said clothes dryer, and duct means incommunication with said clothes dryer at one end thereof for receivingthe lint and moisture laden air exhausted and connected with saidclothes washer at the other end thereof for conveying said lint andmoisture laden air thereto, said duct means at said other lend extendinginto said trough means below the surface of said portion of water fordirecting said lint and moisture laden air into moisture condensing andlint depositing relationship with said portion of water, the purging ofsaid trough means by the water centrifuged from said tub means servingto sweep the condensed moisture and lint into said water container forremoval from said clothes washer by said pump means along with thesoiled water centrifuged from said tub means.

3. In combination, a clothes washer having clean water inlet means andsoiled water discharge means, said water discharge means including meansoperable for removing soiled water from said clothes washer andcollector means in the path of at least some of the water being removed,said collector means being purged by at least some of the water removedand adapted to retain a portion of water after said removal, a clothesdryer having means for directing a stream of drying air into moistureand lint removing relationship to said clothes and for exhausting thelint and moisture laden air from said clothes dryer, and means incommunication with said clothes dryer for receiving the lint andmoisture laden air exhausted and connected with said clothes washer forconveying said lint and moisture laden air thereto, said last namedmeans extending toward said collector means and the surface of saidportion of water for directing said lint and moisture laden air intomoisture condensing and lint depositing relationship with said portionof water, the purging of said collector means by water being removedfrom said clothes washer serving to condition the condensed moisture andlint for removal from said clothes washer along with the water beingremoved.

4. In combination, a clothes washer having clean water inlet means andsoiled water discharge means, said water discharge means including meansoperable for removing soiled water from said clothes washer andcollector means in the path of at least some of the water being removed,said collector means being purged by at least some of the water removedand adapted to retain a portion of water after said removal, a clothesdryer having means for directing a stream of drying air into lintremoving relationship to said clothes and for exhausting the lint ladenair from said clothes dryer, and means in communication with saidclothes dryer for receiving the lint laden air exhausted and connectedwith said clothes washer for conveying said lint laden air thereto, saidlast named means extending toward said collector means and the surfaceof said portion of water for directing said lint laden air into lintdepositing relationship with said portion of water, the purging of saidcollector means by water being removed from said clothes washer servingto condition the lint for removal from said clothes washer along withthe water being removed.

5. In combination, a clothes washer having clean water inlet means andsoiled water discharge means, said Water discharge means including meansoperable for removing soiled water from said clothes washer andcollector means in the path of at least some of the water being removed,said collector means being purged by at least some of the water removedand adapted to retain a portion of water after said removal, a clothesdryer having means for directing a stream of drying air into lintremoving relationship to said clothes and for exhausting the lint ladenair from said clothes dryer, and means in communication with saidclothes dryer for receiving the lint laden air exhausted and connectedwith said clothes washer for conveying said lint laden air thereto, saidlast named means extending toward said collector means and the surfaceof said portion of water for directing said lint laden air into lintdepositing relationship with said portion of water, the purging of saidcollector means by water being removed from said clothes washer servingto condition the lint for removal from said clothes washer.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,750,779 6/1956whyte 68--19 2,843,943 7/1958 Geidhofet a1.

3,078,702 2/1963 come@ 68-20 WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM I. PRICE, Examiner.

5. IN COMBINATION, A CLOTHES WASHING HAVING CLEAN WATER INLET MEANS ANDSOLIDED WATER DISCHARGE MEANS, SAID WATER DISCHARGE MEANS INCLUDINGMEANS OPERABLE FOR REMOVING SOLID WATER FROM SAID CLOTHES WASHER ANDCOLLECTOR MEANS IN THE PATH OF AT LEAST SOME OF THE WATER BEING REMOVED,SAID COLLECTOR MEANS BEING PURGED BY AT LEAST SOME OF THE WATER REMOVEDAND ADAPTED TO RETAIN A PORTION OF WATER AFTER SAID REMOVAL, A CLOTHESDRYER HAVING MEANS FOR DIRECTING A STREAM OF DRYING AIR INTO LINTREMOVING RELATIONSHIP TO SAID CLOTHES AND FOR EXHAUSTING THE LINT LADENAIR FROM SAID CLOTHES DRYER, AND MEANS IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAIDCLOTHES DRYER FOR RECEIVING THE LINT LADEN AIR EXHAUSTED AND CONNECTEDWITH SAID CLOTHES WASHER FOR CONVEYING SAID LINT LADEN AIR THERETO, SAIDLAST NAMED MEANS EXTENDING TOWARD SAID COLLECTOR MEANS AND THE SUFACE OFSAID PORTION OF WATER FOR DIRECTING SAID LINT LADEN AIR INTO LINTDEPOSITING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID PORTION OF WATER, THE PURGING OF SAIDCOLLECTOR MEANS BY WATER BEING REMOVED FROM SAID CLOTHES WASHER SERVINGTO CONDITION THE LINT FOR REMOVAL FROM SAID CLOTHES WASHER.